Gov. Rick Scott signed an executive order calling for a special election to replace state Sen. Jeff Clemens.

A special primary will be held on January 30, 2018, with a special general election to follow on April 10. Clemens resigned his Senate District 31 seat on October 27 after reports stated he had an extramarital affair with a lobbyist.

The winner of the election will serve the remainder of Clemens’s term, running through election day in 2020.

City lawmakers have passed an ordinance to limit the influence of independent expenditures in local elections.

By a 6-2 vote, City Council approved a measure to limit contributions from individuals to PACs involved in city elections and to restrict contributions from foreign-owned corporations with U.S.-based subsidiaries.

Supporters of the ordinance hope it will be a model law for other cities to stem the flow of money in politics after Citizens United.

Many believe a legal challenge is likely, but the drafters of the ordinance, a nonprofit group called Free Speech for People, are confident the language is constitutional under current campaign finance jurisprudence.

Gov. Rick Scott has announced a special election to fill an opening in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Alexandra Miller resigned her House District 72 seat to focus on her family and business.

A special primary will be held on December 5, 2017, with the special election to follow on February 13, 2018.

Miller, who was elected this past November, submitted her resignation on August 24.

Gov. Rick Scott signed an executive order setting a special election for House District 58. The special primary will be held on October 10, 2017, and the general election will follow on December 19.

Rep. Dan Raulerson announced his retirement, effective August 15, to focus on his health and his business.

Holding the election this year will allow the winner to take his or her seat when the 2018 legislative session begins on January 9.

Gov. Rick Scott has called the Legislature into a special session to finalize the state budget. The session is scheduled for June 7 to June 9, 2017.

Gov. Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who were at odds throughout the 2017 session, struck a deal on the budget and a controversial education bill, providing an increase in spending for charter schools.

Absent from the governor’s call is the issue of medical marijuana sales, despite overwhelming citizen approval of a 2016 ballot measure. A two-thirds vote by lawmakers, however, could expand the focus of the special session.

Gov. Rick Scott set the dates for a special election for House District 44. The primary election will be held on August 15, 2017, with the general election on October 10, 2017.

The District 44 seat opened when Rep. Eric Eisnaugle was appointed as a judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeals.

Several Republican candidates have already opened campaign accounts as well as one Democrat.

Gov. Rick Scott signed an executive order setting the dates for a special election to replace Sen. Frank Artiles. A special primary will be held on July 25, 2017, followed by a special general election on September 26.

Artiles resigned from the District 40 seat last month after calling fellow senators by racist and sexist names while having drinks at the Governors Club.

Senate District 40 is located in southwest Miami-Dade County.

The Florida Legislature adjourned the 2017 regular session on Monday, May 8, 2017.

Lawmakers extended the session an extra day after failing to reach an agreement on the state budget, despite Republican majorities in both houses.

The $82.4 billion budget was $1.1 billion less than Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal, leaving open the possibility of at least a partial veto.

A special session also remains possible to deal with implementing the medical marijuana amendment passed by voters last year.

After making inflammatory remarks about his African-American colleagues, Sen. Frank Artiles resigned from the state legislature. Artiles faced mounting pressure to step down following an outburst at a private Tallahassee club directed toward Democratic Sens. Audrey Gibson and Perry Thurston. He also referred to fellow Republicans by a racial slur.

Artiles later apologized for his comments on the floor of the Senate, but it was not enough to quell the outrage from both sides of the aisle.

Gov. Rick Scott will schedule a special election to fill the Senate District 40 seat and, in the meantime, Artiles’ staff will remain in place to serve constituents.

Following in the path of the state’s House of Representatives, Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a measure banning text messages and other electronic communications with lobbyists during commission meetings.

First introduced in December, the initial proposal only placed restrictions and obligations on lobbyists; however, two amendments were approved to create responsibilities for commissioners as well.

Commissioners, like lobbyists, must disclose to the lobbyist registration manager any unavoidable communications and commissioners will be subject to fines for violations. The measure passed by five votes to two.

The Florida House passed a bill today to create greater separation between lawmakers and lobbyists.

House Bill 7003 increases the time former public officials must wait before lobbying from two to six years.

The measure continues a trend set by the new House Speaker, Richard Corcoran, who began the session by implementing new rules to change lobbying practices and increase public confidence in the legislature.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Larry Metz, believes the new restriction will prevent legislators from favoring lobbyists in order to land high-paying jobs after leaving office.

The Tampa Ethics Office launched an online system for lobbyists to log meetings with city officials. The system replaces the paper lobbyist disclosure form.

Just like in the past, a log entry must be submitted within three days of a meeting with a city official.

Currently, the system functions only as a means to submit meeting logs, however, in the future it is expected to also allow for electronic submission of the annual expenditure report.

A proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution seeks to slow the revolving door between public officials and lobbyists.

Currently, members of the legislature, statewide officials, and appointed officials must wait two years before lobbying on behalf of a principal.

The amendment, PCB 17-01, would extend the cooling-off period to six years. The change, proponents say, would prevent officials from ingratiating themselves to lobbyists in hopes of landing a high paying position after leaving office.

The amendment is being considered by the House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee and will be voted on at the Committee’s next meeting.

Lobbying

“Gun Control Advocates Find a Deep-Pocketed Ally in Big Law” by Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Ben Protess for The New York Times

“Bob Dole Worked Behind the Scenes on Trump-Taiwan Call” by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Eric Lipton for The New York Times

Alabama: “Ethics Commission Pulls Opinion Over Nonprofit Concerns” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Florida: “Hillsborough County to Copy Richard Corcoran’s Proposal to Ban Texting by Lobbyists?” by Mitch Perry for Florida Politics

Campaign Finance

Missouri: “Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Campaign Contribution Limits Approved by Missouri Voters Last Month” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Ethics

“Trump Adviser’s Son Removed from Transition after Spreading Conspiracy Theory” by Greg Miller for The Washington Post

“Trump’s Top Conflict Critics Take Over Watchdog Group” by Darren Samuelsohn for Politico

California: “Ex-LAPD Sergeant Broke City Rules by Leaking Recording of ‘Django Unchained’ Actress, Ethics Group Says” by Kate Mather for Los Angeles Times

Missouri: “Nine Face Corruption Charges, Including ESL Councilwoman, Board of Review Member” by George Pawlacyzk and Beth Hundsdorfer for Belleville News Democrat

Legislative Issues

South Carolina: “South Carolina Lawmakers Change Rules to Limit Obstructions” by Robert Kittle and John Hart for WJBF